The wife of the man who has been living at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital’s psychiatric ward since 22 March last year has denied allegations of abuse and economic exploitation levelled against her by her husband.
In a letter sent to The Namibian, Lena Amukugo (41) denies the allegations made by her estranged husband Gunter Domas (63).
The Namibian reported on Domas’ plight last month, including that he was homeless and living at the hospital despite not being mentally ill.
She said Domas is accusing her falsely, and that he “had no money when we got married in 2013”.
Domas says Amukugo threw him out of his parents-in-law’s house when he ran out of money.
“This man had nothing when we got married. Gunter was not and is still not a rich man,” she says.
She says Domas borrowed money from a friend and started a bar and restaurant at Ondangwa.
Amukugo says he never repaid the friend, and his business closed down in May 2018.
“It had to close down due to his poor management. He failed to pay rent and the property owner eventually evicted him. I tried to advise and assist him where I could, but he wouldn’t listen to me or to his friends.
“He never saved any money in his account,” she says.
Amukugo says Domas then moved into her parents’ house at Onkuni village near Ondangwa.
After he went broke, his bakkie was repossessed by the bank, she says.
Amukugo says Domas gave her a Mercedes Benz B170 for her birthday in 2015, but has accused her of selling it using forged documents.
She says Domas himself sold the car in 2019 to be able to look after his family.
The couple has two children, aged nine and seven, according to Amukugo.
“Three years after the car was sold, and we have already separated, life was getting worse for him. He lied and made false accusations to the police, saying I forged his signature.”
Oshana region’s police commander Naftal Sakaria had previously told The Namibian Domas registered a case of theft against his wife with the police.
Amukugo says Domas is tarnishing her name to gain sympathy.
“He must stop tarnishing my name for his own mistakes and the situation he is in,” she says.
Although Domas denies having family in Germany, Amukugo claims he has a sister and three daughters.
Contacted for comment on his wife said, Domas said: “No comment.”
He earlier told The Namibian he had been homeless for about five months when the police arrested him and dumped him at the hospital.
“I ended up here, and the hospital gave me depression tablets. I was not sick. They brought me to the hospital. It is against my will.
“They allow me to leave the hospital and come back, unlike the other patients,” he said.
“I am housed there with about 100 people, some of whom are seriously ill, and I am exposed to them 24/7.
“I am perfectly healthy. No one can imagine what mental torture this is,” he said.
Sakaria last month said Domas was not arrested, but was taken to the hospital since he was homeless and thought to be mentally ill.
Oshakati Intermediate Hospital psychiatric department head Dr Moges Admassu two weeks ago said Domas is not a psychiatric patient.
“He is not mentally ill, and if we allow him to go, where is he going to stay?
“His rational thinking is good. He makes it look as if we want to keep him here. If he wants to go, he can go. It will be a relief to us, but we don’t want to dump him on the street,” he said.
Domas was initially treated for depression, but this was discontinued in October last year after it was found he does not suffer from depression.
“He is a good chef as well. I think he was depressed because he does not have money any more,” Admassu said.
